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These cheese enchiladas are one of our family’s go-to comfort food meals. With gooey melted cheese, homemade enchilada sauce, and soft corn tortillas, it’s a dinner even our pickiest eaters look forward to!
The Cheesiest Enchiladas
Our family has been making these cheese enchiladas for years. It’s one of those “rotation” meals in our home that we make at least once a month. They are everything you could hope for in a classic cheese enchilada and so easy to make! A pan of these on a busy weeknight is just about the best thing ever. What makes these enchiladas so killer is the cheesy filling and the homemade enchilada sauce. The cilantro and green onion added to the cheese add a surprising amount of flavor and the homemade enchilada sauce is pure perfection.
🩷Erica
Ingredients in Cheese Enchiladas
Enchilada sauce – I like the flavor of our homemade enchilada sauce for this recipe best. You can also just use canned enchilada sauce. I prefer red enchilada sauce with cheese enchiladas but you can also use green.
Tortillas – I love using corn tortillas for cheese enchiladas because they hold together best, especially when softened in hot oil.
Cheese – I use Monterey Jack cheese because it’s easy to find and it melts well. Another great melty cheese is Oaxaca but it is a little more difficult to find. A Mexican blend cheese will also work well in a pinch.
Cilantro & green onion – You really don’t need much to season cheese enchiladas. Some fresh cilantro and chopped green onion is all you need!
How to Soften Tortillas
Softening tortillas for enchiladas is a crucial step. Otherwise they will crack while rolling or baking. A quick dip in hot oil will help the tortillas hold up to the sauce while baking instead of absorbing it, which is why it’s my favorite softening method for corn tortillas. Here are a few ways to soften tortillas so they don’t tear during assembly:
- Hot oil method (my preferred method): Place a skillet over medium heat and a little oil. Using tongs, soften each tortilla for 15 seconds on each side in the oil, shake off any excess then transfer to a plate covered with paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Repeat this process with the rest of the tortillas.
- Dry pan method: Heat a pan (with no oil) over medium-high heat and place each tortilla in the pan for 8-10 seconds on each side until softened.
- Microwave method: Place a couple of tortillas in a damp paper towel, and microwave for about ten seconds.
Expert Tips
Use freshly shredded cheese: Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking ingredients that keep it from melting as smoothly. If you have a few extra minutes, shred a block of Monterey Jack for the meltiest cheese.
Drain excess oil: After frying the tortillas, let them rest on paper towels for a minute. They’ll stay pliable without becoming greasy.
Leave a little space between enchiladas: Nestle them snugly in the baking dish, but don’t pack them too tightly. This allows the sauce to coat every enchilada and the cheese to brown around the edges.
Let them rest before serving: Give the enchiladas 5-10 minutes to cool after they come out of the oven. They’ll hold together much better and won’t slide apart when you serve them.
Double the enchilada sauce: If your family loves extra saucy enchiladas (like mine does), make an extra half batch of homemade enchilada sauce and serve it on the side and save the rest for later.
Try making them ahead of time: Assemble the enchiladas, cover tightly, and freeze without baking. When you’re ready to enjoy them, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, add the sauce and cheese if needed, and bake as directed below.
Top with your favorite ingredients: I like adding a sprinkle of cilantro, sliced green onions, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, avocado, sour cream, or a squeeze of fresh lime.
What To Serve With Cheese Enchiladas
If you want to make this into a full meal like at your favorite restaurant, serve these with our Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice, Cheater Refried Beans, and our BEST Guacamole Ever. If you want to switch up the rice and beans pairing you can make them with Cilantro Lime Rice and black beans instead. I also love serving these with our Elote in a Cup recipe (my kids very favorite side dish).
Frequently Asked Questions
You can freeze leftover enchiladas. Just make sure to cover with foil or place in an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to two months. If you are meal prepping in advance, freeze without the sauce and cheese over the top and add them just before serving. Thaw in the refrigerator and then heat in the oven.
I usually like to keep them covered for the first 15 minutes then uncover for the last 5 minutes.
You can, but the texture will be different. Corn tortillas are more traditional and hold up better to the sauce. Flour tortillas tend to get softer and a little gummy after baking.
I love using Monterey Jack because it melts nicely and has a mild, creamy flavor. You can also use cheddar, Oaxaca cheese (my actual favorite but can be tricky to find), pepper Jack, or a Mexican cheese blend.
Of course! Our homemade enchilada sauce has amazing flavor, but your favorite canned enchilada sauce works great when you’re short on time.
READ NEXT: 75+ Best Mexican Recipes
More Easy Enchilada Recipes
Have you tried these Cheese Enchiladas? If so, I would love to hear about it! Leave a comment below or take a pic and tag us on Instagram @favoritefamilyrecipes! 📸🧀
Easy Cheesy Enchiladas
Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Homemade Enchilada Sauce, (click for recipe)
- 12 corn tortillas
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 4 scallions, chopped
- 3 tablespoons cilantro leaves, finely chopped
- 4 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 375ºF. Prepare Enchilada Sauce
- Place a skillet over medium heat and a little oil (3 Tbsp). Using tongs, soften each tortilla for 15 seconds on each side in the oil, shake off any excess then transfer to a plate covered with paper towels. Repeat this process with the rest of the tortillas.
- In a bowl, combine the scallions and cilantro with 3 cups of cheese.
- Fill each softened tortilla with about ¼ cup of the cheese mixture and roll it up. Set the rolled tortillas in a row in a baking dish.
- When all the tortillas have been rolled, ladle the sauce evenly over the dish and top with the remaining cup of cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
- Uncover and bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and melted. Let the enchiladas rest for 5-10 minutes before serving so the enchiladas can set and serve more easily.
Equipment
- 9×13 inch pan
Notes
Serve with:
- For extra kick, sprinkle in little bit of diced green chiles.
- Add a dash of chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder or onion powder for extra spice.
- Toss in some shredded chicken or ground beef.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Super yummy!! Added hatch green chiles & onions & olives made it extra yummy!! Thank you for the great recipe!!☺☺☺
By far a hit in our house. I added some once picante HOT to give it a kick and a blend of cheeses. Wowww. From the first time making this to my 10th time making this, the recipe gets better every time. Thank you.
This was a huge hit at my house! Such a great meal!
This recipe for enchiladas looks amazing and easy to make. Thanks for sharing!
Tried these last night and they were delicious! Not spicy and the whole family loved them!
Is there an alternative for this when your on a diet?
Great question. It depends what kind of diet you are on. If you aren’t concerned about fat content and you’re aiming for low carb, this is a great recipe for you. If you’re counting calories, you will want to watch your portion size and eat it with a big salad or steamed veggies for a well-rounded meal. Keep in mind I’m not a dietician or nutritionist, this is just a suggestion. Thanks for asking!
I found this on pinterest last week and made it for dinner last night. It was a HUGE hit! Can't wait to try more recipes from your blog. Thank you for posting!
I made this for dinner tonight. Not spicy at all. Easy to make. I sprayed the pan (instead of using oil) to soften the corn tortillas. My very picky 5 year old ate it. We served it with sour cream, cilantro and scallions. We made beans and a salad on the side.
We love all things Mexican and this recipe looks so good! I can't wait to make it. I shared your recipe on my Must Try Tuesday blog post today.
http://therickettchronicles.blogspot.com/2012/01/51-must-try-tuesday-january-3-2012.html
I also pinned and stumbled your recipe…hope it brings you lots of viewers!
Happy New Year!
Wende
The Rickett Chronicles
I was just looking for a enchilada recipe. I think I will try these.
By far a hit in our house. I added some once picante HOT to give it a kick and a blend of cheeses. Wowww. From the first time making this to my 10th time making this, the recipe gets better every time. Thank you.
These look scrumptious. Enchilada sauce does take forever to make, but you improvised nicely! The filling sounds delicious too.
The sauce is made as easy as gravy, I used to make it all the time from scratch, but my way is a bit different but they both would taste delicious…
Bookmarked! Can't wait to try this one.